Tyres on Dakar

The Dakar Rally may be the world’s most grueling test of man and machine. The BFGoodrich tyres used for the 2018 Dakar Rally include products raced and tested across the globe, but BFGoodrich Tyres doesn’t just race to learn, we race to win.

The 2018 Dakar will see BFGoodrich® provide its partners and the 300 or so other competitors it equips with several types of tire to cover the varying technical characteristics of the cars and cater for the different conditions competitors can expect to face in the course of their two-week 8,000km-plus journey through Peru, Bolivia and Argentina.

The Dakar is a formidable challenge for tires which need to contend with a uniquely challenging cocktail of sand dunes, different types of ground, sharp stones and big temperature fluctuations due to the altitudes visited by the rally. Because of features like this, cross-country rallying provides tire manufacturers with a mine of information.

BFGoodrich’s engineers are effectively proud to have access to such a unique, extreme laboratory to optimise the performance of the brand’s all-terrain tires. Their numbers include the popular BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A KO2 which was designed to deliver durability and outstanding traction.

BFGoodrich® has four tire types for its partners on the 2018 Dakar:

The BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A KDR2+: developed especially for the Dakar

The BFGoodrich® All Terrain T/A KDR2+ incorporates the latest technologies that have been developed by the American off-road specialist with a view to delivering even greater versatility and resistance than its predecessor which, until now, was regarded as the sport’s benchmark. The BFGoodrich® KDR2+ is a major asset for Dakar competitors as it enables them to take the event’s increasingly challenging terrain in their stride.

The BFGoodrich® All Terrain T/A KDR2+ was engineered to combine enhanced grip with improved steering response and traction – especially on muddy ground – with no detriment to overall performance. At the same time, it carries over the very best qualities of its predecessor to guarantee optimal efficiency when running on hard-packed or sandy terrain, climbing dunes or driving on aggressive, rocky trails in searing heat (Dakar Rally stages visit altitudes ranging from sea level to more than 4,000 metres!).

The improvements made to the BFGoodrich® KDR2+ are essentially a new tread and a stronger construction which also provides added protection against punctures.

For the first time on the 2018 Dakar, the BFGoodrich® KDR2+ will equip both two- and four-wheel drive vehicles, thereby offering the same high level of performance to all the brand’s partner teams, irrespective of vehicle type.

From the initial design phase and simulation work to testing in real-world conditions, X-Raid, Toyota Overdrive, Toyota Gazoo Racing and Peugeot Sport all played active roles and the end-result is a product that perfectly meets their needs.

For each of the sizes in which the BFGoodrich® All Terrain T/A KDR2+ tire is available (two-wheel drive vehicles: 37/12.5-17 / four-wheel drive:245/80-16), there is a choice of two compounds: soft (S) and medium (M). This will allow the brand’s partner teams to adapt their respective strategies as a function of the stages’ profiles and the prevailing weather conditions.

The BFGoodrich® All-Terrain KDR: for four-wheel drive cars

The BFGoodrich® All-Terrain KDR is similar to the KDR2 and was designed to deliver grip on all the types of terrain competitors can expect to come across on the South American event. Extremely robust, it is engineered to shrug off the punishment dished out by the Dakar’s gruelling stages, while at the same time ensuring the necessary traction to avoid getting stuck in soft sand.

This has been achieved thanks to a strong but flexible casing that is capable of running at speed with low air pressures, while still delivering optimal traction. Designed for four-wheel drive cars, the BFGoodrich® All-Terrain KDR (245/80R16) was also developed to withstand damage to side walls.